#bookreview: Sweetpea by CJ Skuse

I haven’t killed anyone for three years and I thought that when it happened again I’d feel bad. Like an alcoholic taking a sip of whisky. But no. Nothing. I had a blissful night’s sleep. Didn’t wake up at all. And for once, no bad dream either. This morning I feel balanced. Almost sane, for once.

Rhiannon is your average girl next door, settled with her boyfriend and little dog…but she’s got a killer secret.

Although her childhood was haunted by a famous crime, Rhinannon’s life is normal now that her celebrity has dwindled. By day her job as an editorial assistant is demeaning and unsatisfying. By evening she dutifully listens to her friend’s plans for marriage and babies whilst secretly making a list.

A kill list.

From the man on the Lidl checkout who always mishandles her apples, to the driver who cuts her off on her way to work, to the people who have got it coming, Rhiannon’s ready to get her revenge.

Because the girl everyone overlooks might be able to get away with murder…

The Review

This review warrants a good ol’ keyboard bash of excitement because Sweetpea was BRILLIANT. Fnkjfndjnfjsdk ffni489b’#.glfkjgh896uhjkhjgf9huj950fnkjfndjnfjsdk ffni489b’#.glfkjgh896uhjkhjgf9huj950 – see what I did there? LOTS OF BASHING!

Sweetpea is not for the faint-hearted, or those that are shocked easily because you can guarantee there will be swearing, sexual and crude references, plus dark dark humour – all of which adds tonnes of dimension to the diary style story. One thing that I didn’t like, and there’s only one, please can we stop using the c word, please? I don’t know why, but it’s a swear word that I just can’t get my head around, the rest don’t phase me, just the c one. It’s all personal preference, though!

Rhiannon has a kill list, and a lot of people need to be careful as they might just be on it. Each chapter starts off with the list, detailing a selection of people that she wouldn’t mind bumping off. I’m not suggesting by any means that killing someone is acceptable, but there are a few people on the list that really don’t help their cause, and in her eyes, probably deserve it. Sometimes she’s lucky and is able to kill, others not so much.

Even though you know she’s a killer, you strangely find her endearing – she’s funny, blunt and honest, probably all the things you wouldn’t expect from someone like her. I’m not justifying her actions, but let’s just say that Rhiannon hasn’t had the best start to life, what with being involved in a nursery massacre and her being the only survivor. She did have a nasty head injury and I think her troubled mind probably comes from that experience – you’ve got to be a little troubled, haven’t you?

There’s even talk about Sweetpea becoming a TV programme and I cannot wait – perhaps it’ll have the same kind of vibe as Dexter.

If you’ve not read any other books by CJ Skuse, take a look at my reviews for Monster and The Deviants.